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Archives for October 2023

Lawrence Leads Jags Over Saints

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Ailing Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence threw a tie-breaking 44-yard touchdown pass to WR Christian Kirk late in the fourth quarter and the visiting Jaguars made a goal-line stand to win their fourth consecutive game, defeating the New Orleans Saints 31-24 Thursday night.

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Lawrence, whose status was uncertain until pregame warmups because of a nagging knee injury, completed 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards and the one score. He found Kirk on a crossing route that enabled the Jaguars (5-2) to overcome a fourth-quarter comeback by the Saints (3-4).

Saints QB Derek Carr, who completed 33 of 55 for 301 yards, drove New Orleans to a first-and-goal at the 6 in the final minute, but threw four straight incompletions. Saints tight end Foster Moreau was wide open in the end zone when he dropped a third-down pass with 25 seconds left.

Down by 11 at halftime, the Saints drove to Blake Grupe’s 42-yard field goal on the first possession of the third quarter to get within 17-9.

Foyesade Oluokun made the Jaguars’ NFL-leading 16th takeaway when he intercepted Carr and returned 24 yards for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 24-9.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Taysom Hill ran 1 yard on fourth down for a touchdown that reduced the lead to 24-16.

Jacksonville’s RB Travis Etienne Jr., who rushed for two touchdowns, was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the New Orleans 47 midway through the fourth. Three plays later, Carr threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas and connected with Alvin Kamara for a two-point conversion that tied the score with 6:38 remaining.

The Jaguars received the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards, scoring on Etienne’s 2-yard touchdown run.

The Saints moved into scoring range on the ensuing possession, but Grupe was wide right on a 51-yard field-goal attempt.

New Orleans recovered a fumbled punt at the Jacksonville 17 but could drive only 12 yards. Grupe kicked a 23-yard field goal to trim the lead to 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.

On the fourth play of the second quarter, Etienne ran 17 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

Grupe added a 35-yard field goal and Brandon McManus answered with a 43-yard field goal, leaving the Jaguars with a 17-6 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Barkley Doesn’t Want Trade

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EAST RUTHERFORD – With the NFL trade deadline looming, Giants star running back Saquon Barkley went on record as saying he wants to remain in New York.

“Sitting here everyone knows how I feel. Everyone knows I don’t want to get traded,” Barkley told reporters Thursday. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want to get traded anywhere. It’s not an easy thing to do. You have to move. I have a family. I would love to be here.”

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The trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Oct. 31.

With the last-place Giants (1-5) preparing for Sunday’s matchup with the visiting Washington Commanders (3-3) — and Barkley set to be a free agent after the season — trading him could be a win-win for Barkley and the organization.

“That never crossed my mind,” the two-time Pro Bowl selection said. “Obviously I’ve been public and vocal about how I feel about this organization and where I want to be. But like I said, knowing the business and seeing that side of it, there are a lot of things that I can’t control.”

Barkley, 26, hasn’t discussed anything trade-related with his personal team. The Giants also have the option to use the franchise tag for a second straight year.

“My focus is to be the leader I can be for this team and get this thing on the right track,” Barkley said.

Selected by the Giants with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, Barkley has 207 rushing yards and a touchdown on 53 carries this season.

He missed three games with a high ankle sprain, then rushed for 93 yards on 24 carries in Sunday’s 14-9 loss to the visiting Buffalo Bills.

Barkley played all 17 games last season and totaled a career-high 1,312 rushing yards. But he and the Giants couldn’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal, as he settled for an adjusted franchise tag.

In six seasons with the Giants, Barkley has rushed for 4,456 yards and 30 touchdowns on 1,007 carries in 63 games (all starts). He also has 260 receptions for 1,866 yards and nine touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Greg Norman Resurfaces and Optimistic

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman broke his months-long silence on Thursday, expressing optimism about the future of the circuit and asserting that his role will remain unchanged.

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Norman hadn’t spoken since the PGA Tour announced on June 6 a preliminary agreement with LIV that would see the two organizations and the DP World Tour form a partnership.

LIV’s existence beyond this year was called into question, as was Norman’s position — especially since Norman was unaware that Yasir Al-Rumayyan, head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund that bankrolls LIV, and its then-competitors were discussing an alliance.

Speaking on Thursday in Miami ahead of the season-ending LIV Golf Team Championship at Doral’s Blue Monster Course, Norman told reporters, “All indications are showing that the position of LIV has never been stronger and that the success of our players and our brand has never been in a better place.

“And as we look forward into 2024, we’ve got a full schedule. We’ve got some places we’ve been to before, but we’ve got some new venues as well and we’re reaching different regions.”

Norman added, “With each year that goes by, this is really going to (be) even more exciting for us. I’m definitely seeing a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out) out there. I know, personally I’m speaking to numerous players who want to come to LIV.”

As for his own position, Norman said he was never concerned, even when PGA Tour chief operating officer Ron Price told Congress in July, “If we reach a definitive agreement (with LIV), we would not have a requirement for that type of position (that Norman holds).”

Norman said, “I knew it wasn’t true. There is so much white noise out there. I pay zero attention to because I know sitting in this seat today, I know every step I’ve made has been for the right reasons, right reasons for the game of golf. …

“I knew LIV was always going to exist. I didn’t need to be involved in the framework agreement because the success was happening here. … “I don’t see LIV going anywhere but up. That’s all I can tell you.”

–Field Level Media

Raiders Lose Garopollo But Defeat Pats

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Las Vegas QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw a touchdown pass before leaving with a back injury and Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals as the host Raiders defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 on Sunday afternoon.

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Garoppolo completed 14 of 22 passes for 162 yards and was intercepted once before Brian Hoyer replaced him to start the second half. Several reports said Garoppolo was taken to a local hospital for further testing.

Hoyer completed 6 of 10 for 102 yards as the Raiders (3-3) won their second straight after a three-game losing streak. Josh Jacobs ran 25 times for 77 yards for Las Vegas.

The Patriots (1-5) continued to struggle offensively, though they did end a 12-quarter touchdown drought. Mac Jones completed 24 of 33 for 200 yards and threw an interception.

New England coach Bill Belichick failed for the third consecutive week to join Don Shula and George Halas as the only NFL head coaches to win 300 regular-season games.

On the first possession of the third quarter, former Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott ran 2 yards for his first touchdown with his new team, providing New England’s first touchdown since the second quarter of a 15-10 victory against the New York Jets on Sept. 24.

Elliott’s touchdown trimmed the Las Vegas lead to 13-10 before Carlson kicked a 30-yard field goal that pushed lead to six points at the end of the third quarter.

Carlson added his fourth field goal, a 24-yarder, to increase the lead to 19-10 early in the fourth.

Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard touchdown run pulled the Patriots within 19-17 with 3:33 remaining, but Jones was sacked for a safety with 1:47 remaining.

The Raiders received the opening kickoff and used 16 plays to drive 69 yards before Carlson kicked a 25-yard field goal that left the Raiders with a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

They extended the lead to 10-0 early in the second when Garoppolo threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers.

The Patriots closed within 10-3 when Chad Ryland kicked a 43-yard field goal midway through the quarter.

Carlson added a 37-yard field goal that extended the Raiders’ lead to 13-3 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week Six Round-Up

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – Browns PK Dustin Hopkins kicked a go-ahead, 29-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the game and the host Cleveland spoiled the San Francisco 49ers’ chance at a perfect season with a 19-17 victory on Sunday afternoon.

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Jake Moody had a golden opportunity to provide San Francisco (5-1) with the win, but he missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

Jordan Mason had put the 49ers ahead 17-13 when he rushed for an 8-yard touchdown with 10:58 remaining. Hopkins made a 50-yard field goal just over seven minutes later to pull Cleveland (3-2) within one, and the Browns’ defense followed by forcing a three-and-out to set up the game-winning drive.

The 49ers lost star running back Christian McCaffrey (oblique) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (shoulder) to injuries. Without those weapons, Brock Purdy struggled, completing just 12 of 27 passes for 125 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He took his first regular-season loss as a starter, falling to 10-1.

Cleveland quarterback P.J. Walker had 192 yards and two interceptions on 18-for-34 passing while starting in place of Deshaun Watson (shoulder).

Jets 20, Eagles 14

EAST RUTHERFORD – Tony Adams picked off Jalen Hurts on the first play after the two-minute warning and Breece Hall scored from 8 yards out on the next play for New York, which overcame an 11-point deficit to stun previously unbeaten Philadelphia in New Jersey.

The win was the Jets’ first-ever against the Eagles, who won the first 12 meetings between the franchises. Zach Wilson completed a two-point conversion pass to Randall Cobb following Hall’s TD. Wilson threw for 186 yards on 19-for-33 passing.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had 280 yards passing — including 131 to A.J. Brown — and one touchdown while getting picked off three times. Philadelphia (5-1) led 14-3 in the second quarter before three field goals from Greg Zuerlein pulled the Jets (3-3) within 14-12 late in the third.

Dolphins 42, Panthers 21

MIAMI – Tua Tagovailoa threw for three touchdowns after Miami fell behind by 14 points in a victory over Carolina in Florida.

The Dolphins (5-1) didn’t score in the first quarter, but the NFL’s highest-scoring team got rolling after that. Raheem Mostert, who ran for 115 yards on 17 carries, scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and NFL receiving leader Tyreek Hill racked up 163 receiving yards with one touchdown on six receptions.

The Panthers (0-6) remain the only winless team in the NFL despite going to the second quarter with a 14-0 lead. Rookie Bryce Young threw for 217 yards and one touchdown on 23-for-38 passing. Chuba Hubbard rushed for 88 yards on 19 carries and Adam Thielen had 11 catches for 115 yards.

Ravens 24, Titans 16

LONDON – Justin Tucker kicked six field goals and Baltimore held off a Tennessee rally in the second half to earn a win as the NFL continued its International Series of regular season games overseas.

After making four field goals in the first half to help Baltimore (4-2) open up a 15-point lead at the break, Tucker converted from 20 and 36 yards out in the fourth quarter to restore a two-score advantage. That became vital when the Titans (2-4) got a 38-yard field goal from Nick Folk with 38 seconds remaining.

Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 30 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He also led the Ravens in rushing with 62 yards on 13 carries. Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 8 of 16 passes for 76 yards with an interception before leaving the game with an ankle injury.

Commanders 24, Falcons 16

ATLANTA – Behind Sam Howell’s three touchdown passes and key interceptions by Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste, visiting Washington earned a win over Atlanta.

Howell completed 14 of 23 passes for 151 yards, while Fuller added nine tackles in addition to his third-quarter pick. Terry McLaurin led the Commanders (3-3) in receptions (six) and yards (81). Running backs Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson added scoring receptions.

Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns but threw three costly interceptions, including one in the end zone grabbed by St-Juste with 5:17 to play in the fourth quarter. Atlanta (3-3) has lost three of its past four games.

Vikings 19, Bears 13

CHICAGO – Jordan Hicks recovered a fumble and took it 42 yards for a touchdown in addition to grabbing an interception as Minnesota held on to beat the Chicago Bears.

Kirk Cousins completed 21 of 31 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (2-4). Jordan Addison caught the Vikings’ lone touchdown pass as Minnesota emerged on the positive end of its sixth consecutive game decided by eight points or fewer.

Justin Fields completed 6 of 10 passes for 58 yards and one interception for Chicago (1-5) before leaving in the third quarter because of a right hand injury. It was later reported that he dislocated his right thumb. Fields was replaced by undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent, who completed 10 of 14 passes for 83 yards but threw a costly interception in the final two minutes.

Bengals 17, Seahawks 13

CINCINNATI – Joe Burrow tossed a pair of first-half touchdown passes and the Cincinnati defense had two interceptions in a victory over visiting Seattle.

The Bengals (3-3) sacked Geno Smith four times and stopped the Seahawks (3-2) twice inside the 10-yard line in the final three minutes to seal the win. Burrow finished 24-of-35 passing for 185 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while Smith finished 27-of-41 passing for 323 yards and the two picks.

Kenneth Walker III ran for 62 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks. Bengals rookie Andrei Iosivas scored his first career touchdown on his 24th birthday.

Texans 20, Saints 13

HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud threw two touchdown passes and the Houston defense held New Orleans without a touchdown after the first quarter in the host Texans’ victory.

Stroud threw the first interception of his rookie season, but he and the Texans (3-3) overcame that as he threw for 199 yards and hit Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods for first-half TDs.

Derek Carr passed for 353 yards and a touchdown, but New Orleans (3-3) was scoreless in three trips deep into Houston territory in the fourth quarter.

Jaguars 37, Colts 20

JACKSONVILLE – Trevor Lawrence passed for two touchdowns and Travis Etienne Jr. added two scores on the ground to lead Jacksonville over visiting Indianapolis.

Lawrence, who sustained a left knee injury, was 20-of-30 passing for 181 yards and one interception as Jacksonville finished off a two-game, regular-season sweep of the Colts. Christian Kirk and Brenton Strange caught touchdown passes as Jacksonville (4-2) moved into first place in the AFC South.

Gardner Minshew completed 33 of 55 passes for 329 yards, one touchdown and a career-worst three interceptions for Indianapolis (3-3). The former Jacksonville quarterback was starting in place of Anthony Richardson, who was placed on injured reserve with a potentially season-ending shoulder injury. Zack Moss rushed for a touchdown for the Colts.

Raiders 21, Patriots 17

LAS VEGAS – QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw a touchdown pass before leaving with a back injury and Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals as host Las Vegas defeated New England.

Garoppolo completed 14 of 22 passes for 162 yards and was intercepted once before Brian Hoyer replaced him to start the second half. Several reports said Garoppolo was taken to a local hospital for further testing. The Raiders (3-3) have now won back-to-back games following a three-game losing streak.

The Patriots (1-5) continued to struggle offensively, though they did end a 12-quarter touchdown drought. Mac Jones threw for 200 yards and an interception on 24-for-33 passing. New England coach Bill Belichick failed for the third consecutive week to join Don Shula and George Halas as the only NFL head coaches to win 300 regular-season games.

Lions 20, Buccaneers 6

TAMPA-ST. PETE – QB Jared Goff passed for 353 yards and two touchdowns as visiting Detroit defeated Tampa Bay.

Goff completed 30 of 44 passes as Detroit (5-1) extended its lead in the NFC North to 2 1/2 games over idle Green Bay. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 12 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown, while Jameson Williams added a 45-yard scoring grab. The Lions’ top rusher, David Montgomery, suffered a rib injury in the second quarter and did not return.

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 19 of 37 passes for 206 yards and an interception. Chris Godwin made six receptions for 77 yards for Tampa Bay (3-2). The Buccaneers were limited to 46 rushing yards.

Rams 26, Cardinals 9

INGLEWOOD – WR Cooper Kupp had seven receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown and Los Angeles outscored Arizona 20-0 in the second half on the way to a victory in California

The Rams (3-3) rolled up 259 of their 382 total yards in the second half. Christian Rozeboom intercepted Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Kyren Williams scored a 5-yard touchdown at the end of the ensuing 88-yard drive.

Williams finished with 158 rushing yards on 20 carries for Los Angeles. Dobbs went 21-for-41 passing for 235 yards and led the Cardinals (1-5) in rushing with 47 yards on seven carries.

–Field Level Media

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Rangers Nip Astros in Battle of Texas

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HOUSTON — Outpitched by his counterpart of the Texas Rangers, left-hander Jordan Montgomery, Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander didn’t appear overly concerned in the aftermath of a 2-0 loss in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday.

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Participating in their seventh consecutive ALCS, the longest such streak in AL postseason history, the Astros have shown resilience plenty of times previously. Their inability to solve Montgomery made for a micro issue, but it didn’t leave the 2022 World Series champions feeling any sense of hopelessness despite falling into a 1-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

Houston won’t have to wait long for a chance to even things, as it plays host to the Rangers today in Game 2 of the ALCS.

“We lost Game 1 in the World Series last year,” Verlander said. “We’ve lost Game 1 of some playoff series before. And that’s the great thing about this team.

“Obviously, nobody is sitting in the locker room right now happy. But it’s very matter of fact. We just got punched. How do you answer?”

Left-hander Framber Valdez (0-1, 10.38 ERA in postseason) is the scheduled starter for the Astros in Game 2. He allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the AL Division Series.

The loss dropped Valdez, who finished 12-11 with a 3.45 ERA across 31 regular-season starts, to 7-3 with a 3.82 ERA over 14 career postseason appearances (13 starts).

Valdez is 7-5 with a 2.90 ERA over 16 career appearances (13 starts) against the Rangers. In three starts against Texas this season, Valdez finished 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 1.32) has the starting assignment for the Rangers on Monday. He has allowed one run in each of his two starts this postseason, with Texas clinching series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles with Eovaldi on the bump. Eovaldi has recorded 15 strikeouts against 11 hits and zero walks in 13 2/3 innings this postseason.

Eovaldi is 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA over 10 career regular-season starts against the Astros. He was the pitcher of record in a 14-1 loss to Houston on Sept. 5 after surrendering four runs on five hits — including two home runs — and one walk with one strikeout while recording only four outs.

Eovaldi finished 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA in two starts against the Astros this season, including a 5-2 win at Minute Maid Park after he tossed seven shutout innings while allowing two hits and issuing four walks.

The Rangers showcased a blueprint for how they plan to attack Astros left-handed slugger Yordan Alvarez, who recorded a 1.783 on-base-plus-slugging percentage with four home runs in the ALDS against the Twins.

Montgomery recorded three strikeouts of Alvarez by working inside with fastballs before finishing him off with curveballs. Alvarez produced an .892 OPS against left-handed pitching during the regular season but finished 0-for-4 against Montgomery and southpaw reliever Aroldis Chapman, who got Alvarez to roll a harmless ground ball to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to conclude the eighth.

“Yeah, obviously he’s a really good hitter, so you kind of have to do a little bit of everything to him,” Montgomery said. “But we kind of worked the fastball in and out and threw some curveballs for strikes and expanded and made some big pitches when we needed to.”

NFL: Patriots Sign Cunningham

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots signed quarterback Malik Cunningham to a three-year deal, NFL Network reported Saturday. The team announced he had been elevated to the 53-man roster for Sunday’s game but did not announce the signing.

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Cunningham, a dual-threat quarterback, signed with the Patriots as a rookie free agent in May, then was released on Aug. 9 and signed to the practice squad the following day.

“He’s a smart kid, works hard and, the opportunities he’s had, he’s shown a lot of improvement,” head coach Bill Belichick said this week.

In parts of five seasons at Louisville, the undrafted Cunningham, 25, threw for 9,664 yards and 70 touchdowns and

Defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and wide receiver Jalen Reagor were elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | October 15

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While We’re Young (Ideas) – Basket-Fy Yourself

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief for Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There’s a saying, maybe call it words of advice: “Stick with what you know best.” Or, in the immortal words of Ignaz Bernstwin (1836-1909), “Do what you know best, if you’re a runner – run. If you’re a bell – ring.

That’s what we’ll do today as this reporter knows the sport of basketball the best and we’ll look at it in three segments.

First, the WNBA: The league has enjoyed, perhaps, its best season since former WNBA President Val Ackerman tossed-up a ceremonial tip-off between Lisa Leslie of the LA Sparks and Kim Hampton of the NY Liberty to start in the inaugural season in the Summer of 1997.

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How quickly those 26 years flew past sports fans, proving the league is here to stay.

The season began with the return of All-Star Brittney Griner who was unlawfully detained in Russia and eventually released in a prisoner exchanged in a State Department led effort to bring Griner home after an airport search uncovered vaping cartridges with less than a gram of hash oil, purchased legally in Arizona but illegal in Russia where she was traveling from playing overseas at her UMMC Ekaterinburg club located in Russia’s fourth largest city situated in Perm Provence. Griner was exchanged for an arms dealer, Viktor Bout, who had served 10 years of a 25-year Federal sentence in the USA.

Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm won the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game MVP after an impressive 31-point performance.

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals will tiup-off at 3pm (ET) today in New York with the Las Vegas Aces leading the New York Liberty 2-games-to-0 in their best-of-five series. The WNBA Finals feature a match-up of two super teams in league history. Jackie Young, A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum have proven too much for the Liberty during their stay in Vegas as Hall of Famer Becky Hammon guides her Aces. No team has ever come back to win a series from an 0-2 deficit.

While overall WNBA viewership is up 27% over last season, the Sunday games in this series are going up against NFL regular season and MLB Postseason telecasts. An uphill climb for a league that concluded its season on Labor Day weekend back when Val Ackerman tossed the ball.

Next Up, the Collegians: Yes, it’s been written in these pages before, but each year, a favorite day for all College Basketball fans is the day their Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook arrives in the mailbox. It happened just last week, and this column was teased with a quick look at the great Chris Dortch’s predictions for the 2023-24 BIG EAST Conference.

This week, we’ll take a good look at the Blue Ribbon predictions for the Top 25 in College ball and maybe – just maybe – the patented preseason NCAA bracket will be back for the most ridiculous attempt at a preview.

The College Basketball Blue Ribbon Preseason Top 25:

  1. Kansas
  2. Purdue’
  3. UConn
  4. Marquette
  5. Michigan State
  6. Tennessee
  7. Duke
  8. Arkansas
  9. Creighton
  10. Baylor
  11. Kentucky
  12. Houston
  13. Gonzaga
  14. Florida Atlantic
  15. Arizona
  16. North Carolina
  17. Texas A&M
  18. Texas
  19. Alabama
  20. Mississippi State
  21. USC
  22. Miami
  23. Colorado
  24. Villanova
  25. San Diego State

No major surprises were installed in those selections, except for the fact of an ever-increasing shift of dominance from the former East Coast powerhouses, like Syracuse, Georgetown, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Providence, and St. John’s, to the Midwest and South.

Blue Ribbon named Purdue’s 7-4 Senior center Zach Edey the preseason Player of the Year and Kansas senior center – 7-1 Hunter Dickinson Newcomer of the Year. Dickinson is not exactly a “newcomer,” as he played three years at Michigan but entered the college basketball transfer portal for his senior season and chose Kansas over Villanova, Kentucky, Maryland and Georgetown.

Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard (r) and The Freak

Saving the best for last, here’s a little look at the pros:

NBA SEASON OF 2023-24: Training camps for the NBA began on September 27 (for teams traveling outside of North America) and October 3 (for the entire league) and the NBA Preseason began October 5 in Abu Dhabi with a pair of Minnesota Timberwolves’ wins over the Dallas Mavericks. (BTW, Dallas went on to lose another game as they stayed in Europe and fell victim to Real Madrid, 127-123 on October 10).

The big change in the NBA schedule of 2023-24 is the incorporation of an “In-Season” tournament which tips-off November 3 and concludes with a December 7 & 9 semis and championship in Las Vegas.

Looking towards the regular season, the talk of the league is Damian Lillard’s summertime trade from Portland to the Milwaukee Bucks and how he’ll fit in with All-Star bigman Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the talented Bucks roster. Keep in mind, Bucks NBA Finals champion coach Mike Budenholzer was fired May 4 of this year and replaced by Toronto assistant Adrian Griffin.

Milwaukee is the team to beat in the East while Denver remains the front runner out West. Next week, we’ll look at the individual divisional ladders and make some predictions for the 2024 NBA Playoffs. While contemplating the NBA, this columnist will take a crack at the impossible —> predicting the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff contenders and winners.

TID-BIT: Keeping up with the Basketball Jones theme, please examine the ESPN list of Top 100 players in the NBA. For a limitation of space on this missive, here’s the ESPN Top 10, in descending order:

No. 10: Anthony Davis, LA Lakers

No. 9: LeBron James, LA Lakers

No. 8: Shea Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder

No. 7: Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

No. 6: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

No. 5: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

No. 4: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

No. 3: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (last year’s MVP)

No. 2: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

No. 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Thoughts: Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns is missing from the Top 10, although to ESPN’s credit, he clocks in at No. 11. Personally, with Kevin Durant’s lack of lateral defensive ability (and lack of desire to play any D), the obvious move is to switch Booker with Durant. … At the top of heap, there’s no reason not to list Denver’s Nikola Jokic at No. 1 and The Greek Freak at No. 2. Jokic and the Nuggets are defending champions and he was the MVP of The NBA Finals. That deserves a No. 1 position. … NBA fans and fans of the 76ers might be wary of Joel Embiid’s progress and conditioning for the 2023-24 NBA season. Just sayin’ … New 76ers coach Nick Nursestressed running and conditioning in his first training camp with his club. Undoubtedly Embiid will be a focal point to examine as Nurse plays an up tempo, move-the-ball, FAST game. … Meanwhile, Sixers 10-time all-star guard James Hardenremains at odds with Philadelphia GM Daryl Morey. Harden is on the Sixers’ books for a cool $35.6m this year and – although he is trying to force a trade – there aren’t any takers at that inflated number. The 76ers are also paying Embiid ($47.6m) and Tobias Harris a cool $39.2m per year. There’s a have and have not on the team payroll in Philly.

Problem-laden Patriots Head to Vegas

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Familiar faces with similar problems look to lead their respective teams to victory Sunday when the New England Patriots visit the Raiders.

Let’s start with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who has seen his struggling team average an NFL-worst 11.0 points per game this season. New England (1-4) has been outscored a staggering 72-3 over its last two games and gone 34 consecutive drives without scoring an offensive touchdown.

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Belichick, however, confirmed Wednesday that Mac Jones will remain the team’s starter despite pulling the quarterback in consecutive contests. Jones is just 24-for-43 for 260 yards and four interceptions in that stretch.

“Right now, it’s not looking too good,” Jones said of his team’s troubles. “But we have to flip the switch and start over and figure out ways to go out there and have fun and sling the ball around — guys go make plays and then celebrate with each other, too.

“One of the best things I do is my ability to communicate. Somebody told me that in the locker room and I took it to heart; I need to do a better job of that.”

Jones’ job this weekend could be a bit tougher given his injured wide receiver corps. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas did not participate in Wednesday’s practice while in the NFL’s concussion protocol, leaving DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne as the top options for Jones.

While the Patriots have the NFL’s 26th-ranked total offense (287.4 yards per game) and 26th-ranked rushing offense (83.8), don’t expect Raiders coach Josh McDaniels to take his opponent lightly. After all, he knows Belichick quite well after joining New England in 2001 as a personnel assistant before shuffling over to defensive assistant, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

“I have great respect for their team and their coaching staff and obviously for Bill,” said McDaniels, who is 2-0 in his coaching career against Belichick.

“They’ll be ready to play. They’ve got a lot of things that they do that create issues for you. We’re going to have to, on a short week, get ready for a lot of different things. We have not seen a team that plays like this. There’s a lot of challenges inherently in getting ready for them. I’m sure he’ll have them ready to go.”

Like New England, Las Vegas (2-3) will need to find a way to ignite its sluggish offense. After all, the Raiders are listed as 29th in total offense (281.2) and 32nd — yes, dead last — in rushing (71.4).

Las Vegas mustered 279 total yards and 96 rushing in its 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers Monday. The decision snapped a three-game losing skid for the Raiders.

Former Patriots wideout Jakobi Meyers had seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown versus the Packers. He has recorded at least seven receptions in three of the four games he has played this season since signing a three-year, $33 million contract in the offseason.

Speaking of former Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo completed 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his return to the lineup from a concussion.

Maxx Crosby was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording five tackles — including a career-high-tying four for a loss — and a sack versus Green Bay.

Meyers (wrist) was listed as limited in the team’s estimated practice on Wednesday. Fellow wideout Davante Adams (shoulder) and cornerback Nate Hobbs were estimated as failing to participate.

–Field Level Media

Jones and Lineman Out at Buffalo

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and three offensive linemen have been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the host Buffalo Bills, said Giants coach Brian Daboll.

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Jones, who is nursing a neck injury, joined left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), rookie center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) and backup Matt Peart (shoulder) in being ruled out for Sunday’s contest. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (ankle) also was ruled out for the game.

Tyrod Taylor, who played in Buffalo from 2015-17, will be under center when the Giants (1-4) face the Bills (3-2). The start will be Taylor’s first since the 2021 season.

Taylor, 34, has completed 11 of 15 passes for 92 yards in four games this season. He owns a 26-25-1 record during his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens (2011-14), Bills, Cleveland Browns (2018), Los Angeles Chargers (2019-20), Houston Texans (2021) and Giants.

Jones, 26, has missed the first two practices this week after exiting Sunday’s 31-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter following a sack by Andrew Van Ginkel. The hit took Jones by surprise from his blind side, and his head cocked backward before he was driven to the turf.

Jones completed 14 of 20 passes for 119 yards and was sacked six times against Miami. He has completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 884 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions through five starts this season.